Eleanor Wells Nudd Papers, 1941-1997

Collection number: MC 240
Size: 17 boxes (5.66 cu.ft.)

About Eleanor Wells Nudd (1918-1997)

Writer Eleanor Dawson Wells was born on April 25, 1918 in Des Moines, Iowa to Dr. Clifford and Helen Wells. When she was two years old, her father accepted a position with the Rockefeller foundation and the family moved to East Orange, NJ. They moved again in 1929, when her father was sent to Baltimore for a year to study at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and again the following year when Dr. Wells was sent to Jamaica to conduct surveys of TB patients.

In 1934, Eleanor returned to the States to attend Abbot Academy in Andover MA. She then attended Wheaton College in Norton, MA where she majored in drama and received an A.B. in 1940. After a couple of years of unsteady employment (including one in Jamaica where she worked for the American Canteen and the U.S.O.) she found a job in New York working as a research assistant to Freling Foster who, for many years, wrote a column for Collier’s called "Keep Up With the World".

In 1947, she left that job and moved to New Hampshire where her parents had purchased a country home. She taught for a year at Colby Junior College in New London, NH before marrying Raymond G. Nudd of Tilton in June 1948. The Nudds had four children: Margaret, George, Jean and Walter.

When Walther started first grade, Eleanor went back to school, both as a student and a teacher. She took graduate courses in education at Plymouth State College and the University of New Hampshire. She taught for several years in the Sanbornton and New Hampton elementary schools until a position in the English Department at Franklin High School in Franklin, NH became available.

After 12 years at the high school, she retired and spent her remaining years writing and traveling. She died on May 23, 1997.

About the Eleanor Wells Nudd Papers

Throughout her life, Eleanor wrote poetry, prose and non-fiction articles that she submitted for publication. Although she claimed that "most were never published"; her writings can be found in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, among other magazines. This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts for published and unpublished works and a scrapbook of newspaper clippings relating to genealogical and World War II items.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open.

Copyright Notice

Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [Folder], [Box], Eleanor Wells Nudd, MC 240, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Donated: Jean Nudd Elliot (Accession number: 2011.18)

Collection Contents

Series 1: Correspondence, 1848-1964

Box 1
Box 1, Folder 1A
  • From Abelard-Schuman, 1962 (1 letter)
  • Alice James Books, 1980-1986 (3 letters)
  • American Medical News, 1990 (1 letter)
  • Arizona Highways, 1987 (1 letter)
  • Athenaeum, 1960-1982 (3 letters)
Box 1, Folder 2From The Atlantic Monthly, 1941-1991 (28 letters)
Box 1, Folder 3From Avon Books, 1982-1991 (3 letters)
Box 1, Folder 4From Louise Boas, 1941-1960 (17 letters)
Box 1, Folder 5B-C
  • From The Boston Globe, Oct. 3, 1986 (1 letter)
  • From Chatelaine, undated (1 letter)
  • From Chelsea, Feb. 2, 1992 (1 letter)
  • From Christian Science Monitor, undated (1 card, 3 poems)
  • From Country Journal, undated (3 cards, 4 poems)
  • From The Devil's Millhopper, undated (2 letters)
  • From E.P. Dutton, June 14, 1983 (1 letter)
Box 1, Folder 6From Tom D. Durrance, 1941-1942 (10 letters)
Box 1, Folder 7From Tom D. Durrance, 1943-1944 (7 letters)
Box 1, Folder 8E
  • From English Journal, Dec. 6, 1978 (1 letter and manuscript "Screwtape Denounces An English Teacher")
  • From Esquire, undated (1 note)
  • From Free World, March 30-Aug 3, 1943 (4 letters)
Box 1, Folder 9From William W. Gibson, 1943 (6 letters)
Box 1, Folder 10From William W. Gibson, 1944 (9 letters)
Box 1, Folder 11From William W. Gibson, 1945-1946 (10 letters)
Box 1, Folder 12From William W. Gibson, 1947-1981 (8 pages)
Box 1, Folder 13G-H
  • From David Godine Publisher, Inc., June 5, 1990 (2 letters)
  • From Good Housekeeping, Aug 17, 1943-Oct 24, 1945 (3 letters)
  • From the Hackney Literary Award, March 6, 1990 (1 letter)
  • From JBS Halper, Feb 6, 1946 (1 postcard)
  • From Harper & Row, June 12, 1979 (1 letter)
  • From Houghton Mifflin, Feb 4, 1943-January 1985 (5 letters)
  • From Hughes Massie Limited, May 15, 1985 (1 letter)
Box 1, Folder 14J-M
  • From The Journal, undated (2 letters)
  • From E.J. Knapton, April 9, 1940 (1 letter)
  • From Alfred A.Knopf, Inc., undated (1 letter)
  • From Barbara Kouts, literary agent, Nov 3, 1981-June 13, 1988 (13 letters)
  • From Ladies Home Journal, July 8, 1958 (1 letter)
  • To Gordon Lish, undated (1 letter)
  • From McCall Publishing Co., May 13, 1969 (1 letter)
  • From Mademoiselle, undated (2 rejection slips)
Box 1, Folder 15From Nancy Mairs, Sept. 28, 1981-Christmas 1996 (11 letters)
Box 1, Folder 16M-N
  • From Milkweed, June 20, NY. (1 letter)
  • From Modern Maturity, Dec 7, 1989 (1 letter)
  • From William Morrow & Co., May 5, 1982 (1 letter)
  • From NBC, Sept. 26, 1996 (1 letter)
  • From Northeast, undated (1 letter)
  • To W.W. Norton & Company, undated (1 letter and 14pp. poetry)
  • From New England Monthly, undated (1 rejection slip)
  • From New England Reading Association, May 26-June 20, 1975 (2 letters)
  • From New Hampshire Historical Society, June 4, 1957 (1 letter)
  • From New Hampshire Profiles, June 19, 1956-Nov. 4, 1985 (7 letters)
  • From New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, Oct. 12, 1989 (1 letter)
Box 1, Folder 17N
  • From The New Republic, Sept. 15-Oct. 21, 1942 (6 letters)
  • From The New York Review of Books, Dec 18, 1989-May 19, 1990 (2 letters)
  • From The New York Times, Feb. 9, 1956 (3 letters)
Box 1, Folder 18From The New Yorker, Nov. 27, 1942-Nov. 8, 1991 (36 letters)
Box 1, Folder 19From Nancy W. Over, Dec. 18,1987-Sept.17, 1991 (12 letters)
Box 1, Folder 20From Nancy W. Over, undated (7 letters)
Box 1, Folder 21From The Partisan Review, Sept. 27, 1946-Dec. 7, 1989 (3 letters)
Box 1, Folder 22To Jean Pedrick, March, 1947-June 28, 1948 (11 letters)
Box 1, Folder 23To Jean Pedrick, July 5, 1948-June 14, 1949 (18 letters)
Box 1, Folder 24To Jean Pedrick, Sept. 22, 1949-Nov. 11, 1955 (19 letters)
Box 1, Folder 25To Jean Pedrick, May 25, 1948-Feb. 13, 1960 (11 letters)
Box 1, Folder 26To Jean Pedrick, Oct. 23, 1979-Nov. 22, 1985 (17 letters)
Box 1, Folder 27From Jean Pedrick (1 from Frank Kefferstan), July 16, 1986-Dec. 1989 (21 letters)
Box 1, Folder 28From Jean Pedrick, Jan. 11, 1990-Dec. 18, 1992 (15 letters)
Box 1, Folder 29From Jean Pedrick, Nov. 4, 1995-June 21, 1997 (8 letters)
Box 1, Folder 30From Jean Pedrick, undated (10 letters)
Box 2
Box 2, Folder 1S
  • From Persea Books, Dec. 6, 1978 (1 letter and manuscript "Screwtape Denounces An English Teacher")
  • From Esquire, undated (1 note)
  • From Alan Swallow, March 30-Aug 3, 1943 (4 letters)
Box 2, Folder 2Misc.
  • Miscellaneous correspondence, 1861-1942 (8 letters)
Box 2, Folder 3Miscellaneous correspondence,undated
Box 2, Folder 4From Persea - Swallow
Box 2, Folder 5From Tilton - Yankee
Box 2, Folder 6Greeting cards
Box 2, Folder 7Will, property assessment, and legal papers

Series 2: Manuscripts, 1848-1964

Box 2, Folder 8Early works
Box 2, Folder 9English literature; early classes
Box 2, Folder 10Works submitted for publication, 1957-1959
Box 2, Folder 11-14English Literature for teachers
Box 2, Folder 15 Across the Gap, v. 1-4
Box 3
Box 3, Folder 1Almanac of New Hampshire Seasons/Books A-Z
Box 3, Folder 2Ashland School notebooks
Box 3, Folder 3-6Atlas and Almanac, vols. 1-7
Box 3, Folder 7Basic Designs/ Day in the Classroom, v. 1-2
Box 3, Folder 8Basic Designs/ Week in the Classroom, v. 1-3
Box 4
Box 4, Folder 1Basic Designs / NDEA Institute papers
Box 4, Folder 2Basic Designs/ Part One
Box 4, Folder 3-9Basic Designs vols. 1-2, part V
Box 5
Box 5, Folder 1-3Basic Designs vols. 2-3
Box 5, Folder 4-9College papers1935-1940
Box 6
Box 6, Folder 1Franklin High School - papers
Box 6, Folder 2The Granite Roots, vols. 1-2
Box 6, Folder 3"Green Island"
Box 6, Folder 4"Imaginary Characters"
Box 6, Folder 5-9Drafts: Isle of Springs

These folders contain handwritten and typed drafts of stories for her unpublished book. Stories include, "A Green Island," "Land of Comic Opera," and "Lomas Land"

Box 7
Box 7, Folder 1-9Drafts: Isle of Springs
Box 8
Box 8, Folder 1-6Drafts: Isle of Springs
Box 8, Folder 7Jamaica: correspondence, maps and notes
Box 8, Folder 8Jamaica: publications
Box 8, Folder 9"Lady Nugents's Other Journal"
Box 10
Box 10, Folder 1-9Manuscripts: miscellaneous
Box 9
Box 9, Folder 1Manuscripts: The Laundromat Affair
Box 9, Folder 2"Letters: A Sonnet Sequence," vols. 1-4
Box 9, Folder 3"Letters: A Sonnet Sequence," vols. 5-6
Box 9, Folder 4miscellaneous papers
Box 9, Folder 5New England Association of Teachers of English Contest
Box 9, Folder 6Notebook: early works
Box 9, Folder 7Notebook: notes for Imaginary Life
Box 9, Folder 8Play script: Impromptu
Box 9, Folder 9Notebook: notes for Lady Nugents Other Journal
Box 9, Folder 10Notebook: miscellaneous jottings
Box 9, Folder 11Notebook: Reflections in glass
Box 9, Folder 12Reporting on outside reading (for Philosophy of Education, 1961)
Box 10
Box 10, Folder 1-3Manuscripts: One Woman's Eye View, vols. 1-3
Box 10, Folder 4"Other Doll's House," vols. 1-3
Box 10, Folder 5Notebook: Other People's House
Box 10, Folder 6-11"Out of Destruction's Reach"
Box 11
Box 11, Folder 1Palm Sunday pageant, 1954-1968
Box 11, Folder 2"The Abbot Courant," 1935-1937 and 50th reunion
Box 11, Folder 3-6"Photographic Memory: Selected Poems," 1941-1991
Box 11, Folder 7"The Picnic Days"
Box 11, Folder 8-10Poetry by Nudd
Box 12
Box 12, Folder 1-2Poetry by Nudd
Box 12, Folder 3published articles
Box 12, Folder 4-5Prose by Wells
Box 12, Folder 6-9Prose by Nudd
Box 13
Box 13, Folder 1-7"Then and Now: Selected Poems"
Box 13, Folder 8"Way Things Used to Be"
Box 13, Folder 9Poetry by Nudd/England
Box 13, Folder 10Poems in process
Box 13, Folder 11-14Prose by Nudd
Box 14
Box 14, Folder 1Prose by Nudd
Box 14, Folder 2"Read Graph and Write"
Box 14, Folder 3Teaching curriculum papers
Box 14, Folder 4Misc. flyers, programs, forms, etc.
Box 14, Folder 5Published works, prints, etc.
Box 14, Folder 6-9Vo-tech English Manual
Box 15
Box 15, Folder 1-3Vo-tech English Manual and workbook
Box 15, Folder 4Works by Jean Nudd, 1987-1994
Box 15, Folder 5Works by Jean Pedrick
Box 15, Folder 6Works by Skim milk Workshop members
Box 15, Folder 7Photographs
Box 16
Box 16, Folder 1"Basic Design"
Box 16, Folder 2"Basic Machines"
Box 16, Folder 3"A Countryside of Granite"
Box 16, Folder 4"The Eagle's View"
Box 16, Folder 5"The Granite Roots"
Box 16, Folder 6"Imaginary Life, Summer 1981"
Box 16, Folder 7-9"Land of Comic Opera"
Box 16, Folder 10"Letter to Walter"
Box 16, Folder 5Miscellaneous papers
Box 17
Box 17, Folder 1"New Hampshire Stories and Novellas"
Box 17, Folder 2-5"Out of Destructions Reach"
Box 17, Folder 6Poetry and prose, miscellaneous
Box 17, Folder 7"The Unhappy Present"
Box 17, Folder 8Wheaton College miscellaneous

Series 3: Scrapbook

Box 17, Folder Scrapbook contains 25 pages, most of which have newspaper clippings relating to genealogical and World War II items.

Formats

Genealogical Papers
Ledgers & Receipts
Letters & Postcards
Manuscripts & Typescripts
Newspapers & Publications
Photographs, Slides & Negatives
Scrapbooks